Warner University is the top seed in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) softball championship tournament that starts today at the Botetourt Sports Complex and runs through Friday afternoon.

It’s the Royals’ first trip to the NCCAA softball tournament since it’s been held at the Botetourt Sports Complex. Warner is in Lake Wales, Fla. and received an at-large bid to the tournament.

Any of the others that qualified for the championship tournament are familiar with Botetourt.

While tournament play doesn’t start until today, the players from the nine teams that advanced to the national championship are already familiar with the community.

As in past years, the NCCAA tournament is blending the national competition with outreach, ministry and discipleship programs.

The players spent Tuesday working with local non-profits and churches as part of that outreach. They also met together Tuesday evening in what has become the traditional pre-tournament banquet at Fincastle Baptist Church.

Pool play begins today (Wednesday) with games from 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

A “Parade of Athletes” Opening Ceremony will be held at approximately 2 p.m.

After pool play, teams will be reseeded for a single elimination tournament Thursday, with the semifinals on Friday, May 18 at 12 noon and the championship game at 2:30 p.m.

The field does not include last year’s champion Oklahoma Baptist, nor the runner-up, Bluefield College.

The Judson University Eagles from Elgin, Ill. does return as the No. 2 seed. The Eagles were seeded No. 1 in 2017, and return as the North Central Regional Champion.

No. 3 seed Trinity International University of Deerfield, Ill. is making its first appearance in Botetourt as an at-large selection, while No. 4 seed Central Baptist Mustangs from Conway, Ark. is making a return trip as Central Region Champion. The same for the No. 5 seed, the Emmanuel College Lions from Franklin Springs, Ga., the South Region Champion.

Mid-America Christian Evangels University from Oklahoma City, Ok. also returns as the No. 6 seed.

Cincinnati Christian University, the NCCAA Mid-West Champion, is the No. 7 seed and is visiting Botetourt for the first time.

Belhaven University from Jacksonville, Miss. is the No. 8 seed and is making a return trip to Botetourt as the Mideast Region Champion, and as is No. 9 seed Oakland City University from Oakland City from Oakland City, Ind., which received an at-large bid.

Today’s games are:

2:30 p.m. #6 Mid-America Christian University v. #7 Cincinnati Christian University

2:30 p.m. #3 Trinity International University v. #4 Central Baptist College

4:30 p.m. #4 Central Baptist College v. #9 Oakland City University

4:30 p.m. #5 Emmanuel College v. #8 Belhaven University

6:30 p.m. #1 Warner University v. #7 Cincinnati Christian University

6:30 p.m. #2 Judson University v. #8 Belhaven University

Thursday’s games are at 12 noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

For more information, videos, stats and Twitter feeds, visit http://www.thenccaa.org/tournaments/?id=311.

Event tickets are $5 adults and $3 for youth and seniors.